Hanging partitions, such as curtains, drapery, screens, and the like, are used for numerous purposes, including separating or partitioning one physical area from another physical area, blocking unwanted light, and creating areas of privacy. In particular, hanging partitions, such as curtains used in commercial aircraft, can be used to partition one or more areas of a cabin of an aircraft, such as, for example, the first class or business class seating area from the economy class seating area and the passenger seating areas from the flight crew work areas or retreat quarters. Curtains on commercial aircraft are typically in a retracted or pulled back position during landings, take-offs, and stops by the aircraft and are typically in an expanded position during private hours, cruising altitude, and sleeping hours.
Known commercial aircraft curtains are generally long (36 inches to 84 inches in length) and are typically attached to an aircraft curtain rail with glider elements. Such known curtains are typically manually retracted by flight crew members by sliding the glider elements together along the curtain rail or by gathering the middle of the curtain and holding the curtain in place with a tie-back element that either closes with snaps or hook and loop fasteners. In addition, such known curtains often have to be adjusted by flight crew members so that the curtains hang straight and to minimize a wide stack-up of the curtain. This can increase the time and workload of the flight crew members.
Moreover, the ability of such known commercial aircraft curtains to stack up well and hang straight when retracted is important for safety as well as aesthetic reasons. Commercial aircraft are required to display emergency exit locator signs at various locations in the aircraft. Several of the emergency exit locator signs may be in proximity to the aircraft curtains. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) regarding emergency exit markings requires that the location of each passenger emergency exit be indicated by a sign visible to occupants approaching along the main passenger aisle or aisles (See 14 C.F.R. (Code of Federal Regulations) Section 25.811(d)). Known commercial aircraft curtains may hang loosely or have a wide stack-up when the curtains are in a retracted position, and such looseness and wide stack-up can result in obstruction of all or parts of the emergency exit locator signs which, upon inspection, can result in a violation of FAA Section 25.811(d).
In addition, when commercial aircraft experience turbulence, such turbulence can cause known commercial aircraft curtains to expand and have a wide stack-up and cause the glider elements that attach the aircraft curtains to the curtain rail to slide away when the gravity adjusts and expose the inner pleats of the aircraft curtain. Such wide stack-up can result in obstruction of all or parts of the emergency exit locator signs which, upon inspection, can result in a violation of FAA Section 25.811(d).
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved hanging partition and method for use in vehicles such as aircraft that provides advantages over known devices and methods.